CLEVELAND — Hoping to derail his chances at becoming Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton’s running mate, progressive backers of Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Hollywood’s “The Hulk,” ripped Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as a patsy for Wall Street.
With numerous reports suggesting that Clinton will announce Kaine as her vice presidential pick on Friday, his opponents drew attention to letters he just signed in support of slowing bank regulations.
Mark Ruffalo, who has played The Hulk, tweeted, “Wrong Choice…Tim Kaine Calls To Deregulate Banks As He Campaigns To Be Clinton’s VP.”
Sen. Tim Kaine. AP Photo
That was countered by CNBC which tweeted, “Possible Hillary VP pick Tim Kaine brings solid economic record.”
The progressive wing has been as suspicious of Clinton as conservatives have of Donald Trump. Trump’s pick of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a noted right-winger who accepted the nomination here Wednesday night, has settled those jitters.
BREAKING: @DFAaction says @timkaine bank letter “should be disqualifying” for VP candidate. https://t.co/q8VUjpyIWj pic.twitter.com/YisfTX5WSQ
— DemocracyForAmerica (@DFAaction) July 21, 2016
But Kaine’s moderate record and style, a winner in Virginia, is giving progressives angst.
Leading the charge against Kaine is Democracy for America, the powerhouse progressive group that first pushed for Sen. Elizabeth Warren to enter the presidential race and challenge Clinton, and then Sanders.
They said that Kaine’s support for bank deregulation was a sign that Clinton is too cozy with Wall Street.
DFA’s Charles Chamberlain said the move should be a killer for Kaine’s chances to be veep.
“Let’s be really clear: It should be disqualifying for any potential Democratic vice presidential candidate to be part of a lobbyist-driven effort to help banks dodge consumer protection standards and regulations designed to prevent banks from destroying our economy,” he said.
He also noted that Kaine has supported the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal which even Clinton has backed away from.
“Our presidential ticket cannot beat the billionaire bigot by simply being not-Donald Trump. To win in November, our ticket needs to have an unquestionably strong record in the fight against income inequality, one of the defining issues of the 2016 election,” said Chamberlain.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
